The news has recently highlighted the shortage of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilators (life support breathing apparatus) in each hospital, district, state and country of the world, during this COVID-19 (China Outbreak Virus In December 2019) global pandemic. Much is being said about the difficult position that the ICU doctors are being placed in with the exponential rise in the number of cases, having to decide which one of the severely affected patients will be connected to any given one of these life-saving devices — who will live and who will die; and all of this amidst the backdrop of the legal implications and other consequences of their decision. Will there be patients who selflessly offer to give their opportunity for life to another?
This all reminds us of another story, in a different setting almost 2000 years ago, where someone was going to die.
Christ had just returned to Heaven as our Great High Priest and He had counselled His faithful followers to “love one another as I have loved you”; this love was to flow out to the whole world as a witness of the Life that He had lived and that He offers to freely give us; each one of us now can live this life for, “The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. DA 805
The ancient Greeks had a story that was well known throughout all of the world at the time of the apostles, to illustrate their most sublime idea of love. Admetus, a noble, handsome young man with all the personal qualities of excellence, fell sick with a disease that the oracle of the gods said would be fatal unless someone would die in his place. His friends went from one to another, "Would you be willing to die for Admetus?" "Sorry," they said, "we like him but we couldn't die for him." His parents were asked, and they said, "Oh, we love our son, but, sorry, we couldn't die for him." Finally his friends asked the beautiful girl who loved him, Alcestis. "Yes," she said, "because he is such a good man and because the world needs him so, I am willing to die for him!"
Crowed the Greek philosophers: "This is love — someone willing to die for a good man!"
How could the apostles be such a threat to Plato's noble concept?
The apostles objected, that wasn't it at all. So, how did their love differ so much from the common idea of love?
There is a higher, purer Love.
Remembering the well known story above they said -
One will hardly die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows His love [agape] for us in that while we were yet sinners [enemies, verse 10] Christ died for us. Romans 5:7,8.
Die, actually give your life for your enemies!
Now that is LOVE!
Ordinary human love is dependent on the beauty or goodness of its object. Humans choose for friends those who are nice to them, who please them. Humans fall in love with one who is considered beautiful, happy, intelligent, and attractive, and they turn away from one who is deemed to be ugly, mean, ignorant, or offensive. In contrast, agape is not awakened by, or dependent on, beauty or goodness in its object. It stands alone - sovereign, independent. Therefore it is free to love all; “bad” people, even enemies! None of the ancients had ever even dreamed of a love like this.
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (verse 5)
Christ’s true followers will always love exactly as He does.
Our time has come.
We will reflect His character perfectly as He abides in our heart, hastening the time when He can come to take us to Himself for eternity.
